The discussion of the last few days made me remember a quote that I’ve really taken to heart. With several of you commenting on preaching and teaching, this is a good time for a value check, to see if you think this quote is valid or not. (You can also help me identify the original source; I can’t seem to find it)

Here’s the quote:

You can’t overhear the voice of God.

I’ve very much taken that to heart in my own ministry. The weakest lessons I’ve given were things that I tried to craft thinking about what God had to say to someone else. The most powerful lessons I’ve been able to share were when I spoke to others something that God had put on my heart.

When I read a passage thinking, “This is what Brother Finkleberg needs to hear,” I’m not getting everything out of the passage that God has for me. When I look at Brother Finkleberg’s situation and relate it to ones I’ve experienced, I can say, “Here’s what God had to say to me at a similar time in my life.”

In the same way, I’ve found that when I choose to preach or teach through a book, time and again someone says, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear today.” When I point out a way in which God is seeking to correct something in my life, I often find that others need the same message.

So what do you think? Can you overhear the voice of God? Or is that quote just a pithy saying?